The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Release Date - June 2, 2020

Publisher Website - Harper Collins 
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy

Pages - 330 pages
My Rating - 4/5

**borrowed from library**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why? 

Mysteries and thrillers with a good setting are some of my absolute favourties of the genre. The Guest List boasts an atmospheric setting along with a taunt mystery that keeps you turning the pages to discover all of its secrets.

The island (and the property) that this takes place in almost becomes a character itself. The unsettling vibe is only heightened by the isolated feel brought forth by the location and detailed descriptions. It combines with the plot to create something the reader gets lost in.

The cast of characters is large as this is placed during a wedding. There are plenty of points of view that we get to experience. Each of them felt distinct and nuanced in their own way. They each are effectively used to further the mystery and create intrigue. It can be daunting to this level of perspective switches but I think it is done incredibly well here. It allows for enough character development while letting the mystery be the focus. You may not like all of these characters but you will be fascinated by them.

The reveals in this one are praise worthy and a few of them took me by surprise. The entire picture is delved out in pieces and I predict that even if you guess most if them there will be pieces to this puzzle that you miss. It was one of my favourite mystery reds of not just this year but in general and that is because of the smartly woven plot.

An intricately woven mystery, a well crafted setting, and fascinating characters all add up to a must read novel for mystery fans. I could not put this one down once I started and I expect itnis only a matter of time before this becomes the next big HBO or Netflix show. 

Waiting on Wednesday ... The Club

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is The Club by Ellery Lloyd

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

The Club

The A-List is Dying to Join

Envisioned as a luxurious home-away from-home for Very Important People, The Home Group is a collection of celebrity members clubs dotted across the globe, from London to Lisbon, Malibu to Manhattan, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.

The most spectacular and exclusive of all is Island Home--a sprawling, closely-guarded complex of faux-rustic guest cabins, spas, bars and restaurants just off the English coast. To mark its opening, Home's mercurial CEO Ned Groom and his team have planned a glamorous three-day launch party, easily the most coveted A-list invite of the year.

But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point. Years behind schedule and vastly over budget, the project has stretched a long-serving and long-suffering team to their limits. There's Ned's trusted PA, who has over decades maneuvered her way from coat-check girl to Home's inner circle; Ned's younger brother, who has sacrificed his marriage and morals to be Ned's right-hand man; the Head of Membership keeping the world's most spoiled and jaded individuals entertained using any means necessary; the Head of Housekeeping, who plays silent witness to the guests' very worst excesses. All of them have something to hide - and that's before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.

As tempers fray and behaviour worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home's members begin to wish they'd never RSVP'd at all.

Because at this club, if your name's on the list, you're not getting out . . . 

This is a newer discovery for me when I started looking at upcoming mystery/thriller novels.

I love the idea of an exclusive club as the setting for one of these novels. The fact that this club is filled with Hollywood A-listers only makes me even more interested.

This releases in just over a month so we barely have any wait at all. 

Expected release date - March 1, 2022

Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity by Kami Garcia

Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity by Kami Garcia, Mico Suayan (Illustrator), Jason Badower (Illustrator), Mike Mayhew (Illustrator)

Release Date - September 7, 2021 

Publisher Website - DC Comics
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 304 pages
My Rating - 3/5

**borrowed from library**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Murder is his art. Catching killers is hers.

In Gotham City, heinous acts of violence are a daily occurrence. Harley Quinn, forensic psychiatrist and profiler, consults with the GCPD on

their worst cases. But she is fixated on an unsolved murder that haunts her—the night she discovered her roommate’s body marked with the

signature of a notorious serial killer known as The Joker.

Five years later, the case remains unsolved, and a new series of horrific killings has begun. As the murders escalate and the meticulously

constructed crime scenes become more elaborate, Harley’s obsession with finding the depraved psychopath responsible leads her down a

dangerous path. When the past and the present finally collide, Harley has to decide how far she is willing to go—and how many lines she is

willing to cross—to solve these cases once and for all.

Written by #1 New York Times and international bestselling author Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures, Unbreakable, The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos) and drawn by Mico Suayan (Bloodshot Reborn), Jason Badower (Wonder Woman ’77), and Mike Mayhew (The Star Wars), Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity introduces readers to a Joker and Harley Quinn unlike any they’ve seen before, utilizing forensic psychiatry, behavior analysis (profiling), and psychological profiles to create a true-to-life take on these iconic characters that is more terrifying than any psychotic fantasy. This volume collects issues #1-8, as well as Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity—Secret Files.

I was immediately interested in Joker/Harley: Criminal Insanity as both a fan of the superhero genre and someone with an interest in true crime. This imagines Harley as a profiler who is hunting a serial killer known as The Joker. It promised a dark, gritty story and on that aspect it delivered. I, however, ended up not being entirely sold on this particular incarnation of the Harley and Joker story.

The story being told is as dark as you would expect it to be. Harley is laser focused on hunting down the person who horrifically killed someone close to her, and this version of the Joker is perhaps even more terrifying than usual. Its tone is something that it gets exactly right and ends up being one of the stand out elements here.

The art is comprised of a few different styles as there are multiple illustrators. This is used effectively to break up the various parts of the story with different styles being used for different purposes. A lot of the art is eye catching and arresting and infused with the darkness of the story itself. I am new to graphic novels, but I admire their ability to make you transfixed by an image. 

Harley as a criminal profiler operating on the outskirts fits her character incredibly well. The darkness in her works with the darkness of the story. You could see how this Harley could eventually be written to become the Harley from the comics, but she could just as easily be taken in a different direction. I liked her quite a bit in this and mostly like the direction her character was taken in.

The Joker's story has more backstory than the ones I am more familiar with. I think this version is chilling as he is brutal, methodical, and determined. The most compelling aspect may be that he has reasons for his actions. Those reasons do not necessarily need to make sense to the reader. It makes sense to him and that is enough. His reasons may in fact feel cliché and expected. I simply feel it works on a basic level as his motivation.

Those hoping to see a cameo from Batman himself will be disappointed. I, however, found it refreshing that this focused on other characters. Batman's presence wouldn't have been effective here so I am grateful he was kept only to a brief mention. 

I had to search out if this was the end of this particular run of comics and it turns out that this is the full story. It was this fact that made my rating drop a bit as I felt the ending was unsatisfying and abrupt. It didn't, for me, mesh with the rest of the story. It felt like there was so much story left to tell. It didn't live up to the potential I had seen in the earlier portion of these comics. 

The combination of the classic Batman characters mixed with criminal profiling was certainly an interesting draw. It, mostly, worked for me up until the disappointing (and abrupt feeling) ending. I have mixed feelings overall when it comes to this one, as a lot of the earlier stuff was truly fascinating and it offers a unique take on the Harley and Joker characters.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every week. 

It's been a bit since I've done one of these, but I am back and will hopefully be doing them every week again.

I have few things that I am excited about to share. 

BOOKS 

How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine cover (goodreads)

This book first caught my attention when it was teased as Scream meets Happy Death Day. It sounds like a lot of scary fun and I LOVE the cover that was recently revealed.

It is eye catching and I love the blood splatter! I love the white background as it allows the other elements to take the focus.

A Very Merry Bromance announcement (goodreads)

The Bromance Book Club series is a favourite of mine and the fifth novel in the companion series is holiday themed! 

I love this little teaser image to get us excited and it comes out THIS year so we have that to look forward for the upcoming holiday season.

I'm The Girl by Courtney Summers (goodreads)

Courtney Summers releasing a new book is always something to be excited about. She is one of the authors who can make me excited about her upcoming new release with absolutely no details about the plot of the book. I trust her with whatever premise and the teases she has been releasing on Instagram have made me VERY excited to learn more.

MOVIES/TELEVISION

Hamilton Funkos

Funko has just released the second set of Hamilton Funkos and I was VERY exited to see some of the inclusions in this newest batch.

We are getting a King George Funko! I am very excited to add him to my collection. I also love the Thomas Jefferson one. If you are a Hamilton fan these are up for preorder at various retailers. I may have preordered King George immediately!

The Lost City trailer

Sandra Bullock's upcoming movie reminds me a little of Romancing The Stone. It seems to be an adventure movie with some romance in it. It looks like a whole lot of fun!

I love everything about this. It looks super charming and like a good film for a night out with your friends. I love the banter between her and Channing Tatum's character and I hope it continues through out the entire movie.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

Waiting on Wednesday .... Book of Night

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Book of Night by Holly Black

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

In Charlie Hall’s world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferences—but also to increase power and influence. You can alter someone’s feelings—and memories—but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden—a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.

Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister—all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.

With sharp angles and prose, and a sinister bent, Holly Black is a master of shadow and story stitching. Remember while you read, light isn’t playing tricks in Book of Night, the people are.

I am pretty sure there are many people who are excited about Holly Black's debut adult novel. I am even more excited after reading this synopsis.

I am curious to see if her adult novels are just as engaging as her young adult ones are and I cannot wait to see what these characters are like.

This one doesn't release until May so we have a bit of a wait, but I anticipate it'll be worth that wait.

Expected release date - May 3, 2022

#PopCultureResolution - West Side Story

West Side Story (1961)

Director: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise 

Length: 152 minutes

Cast: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn

Release Date: October 18, 1961

Synopsis: A musical in which a modern day Romeo and Juliet are involved in New York street gangs. On the harsh streets of the upper west side, two gangs battle for control of the turf. The situation becomes complicated when a gang members falls in love with a rival's sister.

***********************************************

A new year means a new #PopCultureResolution! This year I am focusing on musicals for the movie part of this resolution. First up is the 1961 adaptation of West Side Story.

One of my favourite facts about West Side Story is that Montgomery Clift is ultimately responsible for its creation. He mentioned his idea of a Romeo and Juliet musical but with gangs set in New York to Jerome Robbins who couldn't get it out of his head and ended up creating it.

I had the experience of watching the 2021 adaptation before this one and I think that impacted my viewing experience. I anticipate that most people prefer whichever of the two they have seen first. This, I find, tends to be true with remakes/updates. 

Might as well get the negative stuff out of the way. The egregious use of brownface in this definitely sticks out and is problematic. This is something that the current remake makes sure to correct and is all the better for it. Representation matters and the lack of it stood out here.

There is plenty to love about this movie even with its issues. The actors all manage to charm. I adored Rita Moreno as Anita. She is incredible through the entire movie and it is easy to see why she won her Oscar for this role. Russ Tamblyn is a great Riff (even if I prefer Mike Faist's take on the character). Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer have some chemistry and provide a decent Maria and Tony. 

The choreography is obviously iconic. There are plenty of moments that seared themsleves in to pop culture and those were a delight to experience. Some of songs translated better in the remake (like the updated take on and placement of Cool) but others worked better in this version (like Tony and Maria singing Somewhere). 

While this may, at times, seem outdated it is certainly worth the watch. It would pair nicely with the updated remake as a double feature. The remake may have personally worked better for me, but there was still plenty I liked about this one. It's a fun, energetic, and surprisingly moving movie that makes you want to belt out a few of the songs yourself.

2022 Most Anticipated Movies and Television

Today I am sharing what movies and television I am looking forward to this year. It's a mix of stuff releasing soon and other stuff scheduled to be released later in the year.

Due to the state of *gestures around* these release dates are subject to change as things with the pandemic change. Here is hoping we get most of these on schedule.

These are also not in any real order. I am not going to list the current release dates since they are definitely subject to change (and some don't even one set at this time).

First up are the ten movies I cannot wait to see this year:

1. Elvis (Baz Luhrmann)

I love Baz Luhrmann's movies and him making a film about Elvis Presley makes so much sense. I have been hearing nothing but amazing things about Austin Butler (who is playing Elvis) and the teaser that Baz released certainly looks promising.

2. Babylon

This is Damien Chazelle's newest and has an incredible cast (Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Tobey Maguire to name a few). It is supposed to be set during the time when silent pictures transferred into talkies. I can fascinated by classic Hollywood and this has a lot of promise. I cannot wait to see what this film looks like. 

3. Don't Worry Darling

I loved Olivia Wilde's Booksmart and have been looking forward to her next directorial offering. This seems to be more of a thriller and it is set in the 50s. It also boasts a buzzy cast and that means a lot of interest.

4. The Batman

I love the gritty tone and feel of the trailers. I love what Robert Pattinson is doing with the role of Batman. Love what I am seeing from Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman. It is going to be a huge movie this year and I bet lots of you have it on your list as well.

5. The Lost City

 This is Sandra Bullock's new movie and it looks like so much fun. She plays a writer of romance novels who ends up on an adventure with the model used on the cover of her books (who is played by Channing Tatum). It reminds me a little or Romancing the Stone and seems like a fun girls night out movie.

6. Scream

This is technically out now (it just released on the weekend) BUT since my theatres are closed due to the pandemic at the moment I am keeping it on my list. The original Scream is one of my favourite movies and I am very excited to return to Woodsboro. 

7. Blonde

This movie was delayed from its original release date and is now coming out this year. I have wanted to watch it since seeing the photos of Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe. She looks incredible. I cannot wait to finally see this as I have heard A LOT about the book it is based on.

8. Boston Strangler

This film caught my eye because it is about Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole who are the reporters who first connected the Boston Strangler murders. I know the basics about this particular case, and didn't know it was these two women who made the connection. Kiera Knightley and Carrie Coon are attached which makes me even more excited as I love both of them.

9. My Policeman

This caught my eye because of the casting of Harry Styles. It is also an adaptation of a book that is fairly well known. It revolves around a a trio of people who when they reunite after forty years have to deal with events that happened in their past. 

10. Nope

I was basically sold on this because it is Jordan Peele's new film. No plot details are known, but I am going to guess that it'll be another thought provoking horror movie. I cannot wait to find out more and to eventually see this in theatres.

My television list has a mix of both returning and new series on it. Again, release dates will not be provided as they are subject to change (and some do not have them as of yet).

Here are the eight television series that I cannot wait to watch this year:

1. Stranger Things (season 4)

I have been desperate for the next season since I finished season three. This has taken a little longer than expected to get here, but we'll finally be able to watch it as some point this summer. 

2. Daisy Jones & the Six

I love the book (by Tayler Jenkins Reid) this series will be based on and am very excited about the casting. I cannot wait to become obsessed with both this show and the soundtrack when it releases. 

3. Pam & Tommy

My initial interest in this was the casting of Sebastian Stan. My interest only increased when the first look photos were released (seriously, how much does Lily James look like Pamela Anderson in this?!). The trailer was what cemented me watching this. It looks really different compared to what I was expecting and dare I hope it delves in to how Pamela was treated compared to Tommy when their sex tape was released.

4.The Staircase

HBO series are extremely my thing and this mixes that with true crime so naturally I was going to be interested. The casting is interesting and I am looking forward to seeing if this produces the kind of online conversation I think it will.

5. American Gigolo

I have never seen the Richard Gere movie of the same name, but I read the synopsis and it sounds interesting. I also happen to like Jon Bernthal so I am willing to check it out. It seems like it'll have a mystery at the center of the show which also piques my interest.

9. Conversations With Friends

I really enjoyed the book of the same name (by Sally Rooney) and was thrilled to find out it was going to be a television series. I hope it is as good as I am anticipating it will be. I know plenty of people who loved the adaptation of her other book (Normal People) so hopefully this is just as good.

7. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

This has Evan Peters playing Jeffrey Dahmer so I was going to watch it regardless, but I like that the story will be filtered through the lens of one of his neighbours who called the police numerous times about Dahmer's behaviour. It also wants to delve in to the numerous times that Jeffrey was almost apprehended but ultimately released. This perspective sounds interesting and I cannot wait to see what Evan Peters does with the role.

8.  Love and Death

This has Elizabeth Olsen in it and I am curious to see her in something outside of her playing Wanda. It is another HBO show that focuses on the true story of the murder of Betty Gore (Lily Rabe) by Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen). I don't know anything about this particular case but I am excited about the cast as I love both women who are the leads.